Where does all the money go? EEA/EFTA Explained

Every year, Norway pays several hundred million euros to be part of the EEA and EFTA. The money goes to reducing social and economic inequalities in several EU countries. However, critics claim the system is not working as it was intended and argue that Norway should not continue to support countries in Eastern Europe, where democratic tendencies are moving in the wrong direction.

The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a trade organization and free trade area with four European states as members: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. They all participate in the European Single Market, and part of the Schengen Area. However, not all four countries are part of the European Economic Area (EEA). How does this work? What is the price for their membership and how is this spent?

The seminar will be open for questions from the audience towards the end.

Breakfast will be served in Jekteviksbakken 31.
You can also join us on Zoom.

Panelists:

Thorfinnur Omarson

, Director of Communications EFTA

Eva Honningsvåg, Director of Communications FMO

Malgorzata Agnieszka Cyndecka
,

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law at UiB. Her
research focuses on the EU/EEA law on State aid and data protection/General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Kjetil Evjen


, Assistant Professor at the Department of Comparative Politics at UiB.

Photo:
Christian Lue/Unsplash